Is slower charging the right choice for your EV? For everyday charging, faster isn’t always better. Fast charging is useful when you need to add range quickly. But when your EV will already be parked for hours, at home, at work, or overnight, maximum charging speed might not be the right solution.
A slower charging approach can support battery health, reduce strain on the electric grid, lower charging costs, and make better use of available energy.
Here are five reasons why slower charging might make sense for your EV.
1. Battery Health and Longevity: Is Slower Charging Better for Your EV Battery?
One of the biggest advantages of using a slow EV charger is the positive impact it has on battery health and longevity.
Lithium-ion batteries, the most common type found in EVs, are sensitive to heat. While EVs have battery management systems that moderate temperature, rapid charging generates more heat than slow charging, which can negatively impact the battery’s lifespan long-term. Opting for a slower charger when routinely charging decreases heat-induced stress on the battery, and can promote better battery health.
2. Cost Savings: Lower Power Charging Can Reduce Charging Costs
Another advantage of slow charging? The opportunity to lower your charging costs.
Charging for extended periods of time with a slow charger can allow you to plan your charge during off-peak hours. Often, energy prices are fluid and change throughout the day, depending on demand. When you use a slower charger, and plug in overnight or during the work day, you can take advantage of lower energy rates and reduce your charging costs.
Additionally, many public charging stations have pricing structures that are speed-dependent, where slower charging rates often cost less.
3. Improved Charging Efficiency: Faster Isn’t Always More Efficient
While fast charging can be convenient, more power doesn’t always result in a more efficient overall charge.
As your EV’s battery fills up, charging speed naturally slows because of the battery’s internal limits. When plugging in for extended periods of time, a slow charger will use electricity more efficiently, maximizing the transfer of energy from the grid to the battery. By choosing a lower powered charger, your EV can take advantage of the entire charging curve and improve energy efficiency.
4. Reduced Strain on the Grid: Slower Charging Can Improve Grid Reliability
The grid balances the supply and demand of electricity in real-time. Fast charging uses large amounts of energy, which can put a significant strain on the grid in locations where many people plug-in at the same time, especially during peak demand periods.
Slower charging not only uses less energy at any one moment, but distributes the load on the grid more evenly over time, reducing sudden spikes in demand. You can contribute to a more stable and reliable grid by choosing a slower, more gradual charging approach that doesn’t overwhelm local transformers or require costly grid upgrades.
5. Environmental Benefits: Lower Power Charging Can Reduce Emissions
Electric vehicles already offer environmental benefits over gas-powered vehicles, but how you charge can make a difference, too.
When you charge your EV at a slower rate, it allows for a more controlled charge. This enables you to take advantage of charging when energy demand is low, or when renewable energy is available (like solar or wind power). Charging over longer periods of time, during off-peak hours, is an intentional way to optimize clean energy sources and further reduce emissions.
Lower Power Charging: The Smart Solution
While fast charging is great in a pinch, lower power charging habits are the smart solution in the long-term. Slow charging can support the longevity of your EV’s battery, improve charging efficiency, reduce strain on the grid, lower overall charging costs, and increase the environmental benefits of your EV.
Ready to bring reliable, lower power EV chargers to your drivers? Explore our Level 1 and Level 2 Outlets, or talk to our team to get started.
Reliable EV charger that’s even easier to manage.
